Full Circle
by happy29
Summary: Life is always complicated. Danny faces a new dilema concerning his health. Set after 7x10 when Danny's sister visits. I am using my creative license to play doctor. So, no flames for my creative diagnosis even if it may be far fetched. I realized that there should be some kind of physical check up for these two. Steve/Danny pairing.
1. Chapter 1

Danny closed his car door with a bit more force than he intended and sunk into the confines of the driver's seat letting out a long sigh. He dropped his head back against the headrest and squeezed his eyes shut, his fingers clenched securely around the steering wheel. "Why can't anything _ever_ be easy?" he muttered under his breath. He let go of the steering wheel and fished in his right pants pocket for his phone. He unlocked the display and discovered three missed calls and five text messages from his partner Steve. "What part of _'I have an appointment'_ doesn't he get?" Danny grumbled as he scrolled through the messages.

" _How'd the appointment go?"_

Danny groaned. He didn't want to have this conversation with Steve or anyone. He started the engine of the Camaro and let the car idle.

" _You coming back to the office? Where are you?"_

Danny glanced at the time. He had left the office over three and a half hours ago.

" _Never mind. It's getting late."_

His appointment took an hour and a half longer than he had anticipated. It was after five thirty and he still wanted to drive Bridget to the airport for her flight home. Seemed like there was never enough time in a day anymore to get done everything you needed to do.

" _I'll come over later, maybe bring some dinner and we can talk."_

Talk. Danny groaned again and blew out another frustrated breath. It wasn't that he didn't want Steve to come over, but tonight, he just wanted to be left alone. To let everything sink in before he had to deal with reality.

" _Danny? You okay, Buddy? Give me a call. Getting a little worried here."_

Danny opened up a new message to Steve and began typing. _"Sorry. Appointment took longer than expected."_ He made a face and added, _"Short staffed or something, not sure. Going to run Bridget to the airport for her flight home. Should be home by 8."_ His thumb hovered over the send button for a few moments before he pressed the grey send arrow. He probably should have called Steve instead but he knew if he did, that would lead to talking and he wasn't up for any conversations at the moment. But he also didn't want Steve to worry, so he took the easy route and sent the text instead. He wasn't surprised when his phone chirped almost immediately. Steve must have had the thing glued to his hand waiting to hear something from his partner.

" _Okay. Was getting worried. Give Bridget my love. I'll bring dinner. Can't wait to tell you about my appointment. Doctor was overly impressed. And here you thought I was going to ruin your liver. Where's the trust, Babe? We should have gone together."_

Weary blue eyes stared at the message on the screen. Danny could feel his stomach twist into knots. That was fantastic news since he was certain Steve would have gotten himself killed long before his liver had any chance of regenerating itself. Looks like he was wrong.

" _That's great. Call you when I'm on my way home."_ Danny tossed his phone into the passenger seat, threw the Camaro in reverse and backed out of his parking space. Why did life have to always get so complicated?

Steve pulled his truck alongside Danny's Camaro and killed the engine. Danny's silhouette came into view, perched on the stone wall, back to the road, dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, staring out over the moonlit ocean. This was Danny's special place where he always came to think, to reflect, to let go. Only Steve and Grace knew what this place meant to Danny. The spot where he ran out of gas on his first day on the island and was forced to stop and take in the scenery. Steve wondered when Danny went home to change. When he left the office earlier in the day he was still dressed in his button down shirt and khaki slacks.

"Hey," Steve called out casually as he approached, not wanting to startle his partner. The sun had set hours ago and it was dark, save for the moonlight dancing on top of the ocean as it illuminated the breaking waves.

Danny didn't even flinch when he heard Steve's truck pull in. He sniffled and rubbed his eyes dry. Steve knew him well enough to know he wouldn't be at home. "Sorry." Danny said quietly as he turned to face Steve. He gave him a small smile and turned back to face the ocean. "I wasn't ready to go home yet."

"I figured as much." Steve squeezed Danny's shoulder as he swung a leg over the stone wall and sat down beside his partner. "What's going on?"

Danny sniffled again and diverted his attention back to the crashing waves in the ocean. "Bridget says hello and next time I come home, I'm to bring you with me. Give you a taste of Jersey life."

Steve let out a small laugh. "That's very sweet of her. I'm not sure how well I'll take the cold though. Can we wait until after it quits snowing?"

"Yeah. After being here for seven years, I don't care too much for the snow anymore either." Danny rubbed his stubbled jaw. He closed his eyes and dropped his chin to his chest when Steve rested his hand on his thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. He couldn't do this yet so he tried a diversion. "Hey good job on the case today."

"The case?" Steve questioned without removing his hand.

"Yeah. Can you believe we solved this case _without_ even drawing our weapons or firing a _single_ bullet? I mean that has to be some kind of record right there. I think this is the first time not a single person has died during one of our investigations. Well, except for the original dead person. But that doesn't really count."

"Danny," Steve began and stopped, followed Danny's gaze out over the ocean. "What's going on?"

"How'd your appointment go?" Danny asked switching the subject away from himself. "What did your doctor say about my liver?"

Steve huffed out a laugh. "Well, he said it's doing great. Everything looks good. Regenerating at the expected rate. I don't have to go back for another six months. I've got pictures in the truck since I knew you'd want visual proof that I haven't destroyed it yet."

"Visual proof?" Danny questioned with a smirk. "That's good. Yes, I'd like to see those at some point."

"So? What's wrong? You upset about Bridget going home, not able to be there to monitor her and Spencer's interactions?"

Danny shook his head. "No. We talked at the hotel and she realizes the mistake she would be making. I told her about my situation with Grace and how I understood what she was going through. That's how I could see what was happening between her and Spencer, even though she couldn't. She never knew any of that. Nobody did, until I told you earlier. She's lonely and I get that too."

"What's she going to do?" Steve asked.

"She said something about counseling. Her husband Ted is so consumed with work, he probably doesn't have a clue there's even a problem between them. I told her to call me, no matter what if she ever needs to talk."

"You're a good brother Danny."

"Am I?" Danny shrugged his shoulders. "Can I ask you something?"

Steve put a hand on Danny's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "You can ask me anything. You know that."

"Something Bridget said earlier today. Just isn't sitting well with me."

"What's that?"

"You think I'm selfish? Huh?"

"What? Why would she say that?"

"It's almost like she blames me leaving seven years ago for some of her problems. She says she has no support at home anymore because her husband's always working and our parents aren't around to do the grandparent thing and when they are around, they need something from her. Help with who knows what. And then she asks me what she's supposed to do and I tell her I don't know, maybe therapy or try a separation. And then she says-." Danny hesitated, swiped at a fresh tear. "She says unlike me, she can't just walk away from her children."

"Walk away?" Steve scoffed at the accusation. "Danny, you moved five thousand miles to be a part of Gracie's life. How is that being selfish? You gave bone marrow to Charlie at the drop of a hat, putting aside everything Rachel did to you by keeping Charlie's paternity a secret. You risked your own life and gave me half your liver without ever thinking of the risks to yourself. And _she_ has the audacity to call _you_ selfish?"

"I don't know. It just hit me you know. I'm torn either way. I couldn't be a part of Grace's life and stick around in Jersey to help with my family at the same time. I can't split myself in two and that's what it sounds like she expected me to do."

"Danny, she's just upset and she's using your leaving as an excuse to put the blame on someone else. So she doesn't have to accept responsibility for the way her own life has turned out. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure your sister is great, but that's not fair to you. You have a daughter that needs you more than your adult sister."

"Yeah, I know. Maybe." Danny kicked his feet against the stone wall and blew out a frustrated breath. "Today's just been a tough one. Grace and Charlie are in Vegas with Rachel and Stan. I just miss them to pieces when they aren't here."

"I know you do."

The two remained quiet for a few moments, the only sound between them was the crashing of the waves below.

Danny finally broke the silence. "My appointment didn't go as I was expecting."

"What are you talking about?" Steve turned on the wall and took hold of Danny's forearm. "What did the doctor say?"

A single tear slipped down the side of Danny's cheek and he brushed it away quickly. "Apparently you're the better patient. My liver isn't regenerating the way it should be."

"What? What do you mean?" Steve could hear the tremble of concern in his own voice. "Your first few follow up appointments went fine."

"They did. My doctor said something about scar tissue and it's causing issues with the new growth."

"Scar tissue from what?" Steve asked, a hundred scenarios already running through his head.

"From when Melissa's ex stabbed me."

"Oh God," Steve ran his hands through his hair. "Danny, you should never have given…"

"Don't. Okay? Nothing would make me change my decision." Danny ran his both his hands over the top of his hair, his own nervous quirk. "It's not just the scar tissue causing issues, there's other stuff as well."

"Other stuff? Like what?"

"You know me, Steve. I'm a natural worrier. I worry about something that doesn't need to be worried about."

"That you do, Buddy, that you do."

"Well, with worrying comes stress." Danny gripped the edge of the stone wall and dropped his head forward. "There's been so much going on lately. My dad's health issues, this new thing with Bridget. Finding out I was indeed correct about Grace having a boyfriend, which I might add has opened up a whole new chapter of anxiety for me. Even though Will's a great kid, I still worry, you know? Any parent in their right mind would." Danny quit kicking his heels against the wall and crossed his feet at the ankles. "I should have known something was up when I couldn't shake the flu last month. God and _you_. I worry so much about-"

"I'm sorry, Danny." Steve slid an arm around Danny's shoulders and pulled him close. "I know I don't make it easy on you either."

"I'm scared to death that something's going to happen to you because you jump and then think. And one of these days, there's not going to be anything there to break your fall. And where is that going to leave me? Huh? I'll tell you. It's going to leave me alone and that's not a place I want to be anymore."

"I don't know what to say."

"Here I was worrying myself sick that something would happen to _you_ that I wasn't concerned for one minute about _my_ own health. I just kept harping on you to be more careful, to rest, to relax some, to take your meds. But did I do any of those things for myself? No. Because I spent all of my waking hours making sure nothing happened to you."

"I let you down, Danny. I should have been just as worried about you. Truth is, you're always so together that I don't have to worry about you. Because I know you've already got everything in order. You're my glue." Steve's words were met with silence.

"I'm not used to letting others worry about me. Being the oldest, I've always been the one everyone came to when there's a problem. Just once, I want it to be the other way around. I don't think I can do it anymore, Steve."

"You're not alone anymore, Danny. You have to learn to put your trust in me as well." Steve leaned forward and swiped away at Danny's falling tear. He pressed their lips together softly. He pulled away and Danny leaned his forehead against Steve's, not wanting to break their touch. "So what does the doctor say?"

Danny turned his head and stared back over the ocean. "He wants to go in and make a fresh cut, eliminating the scar tissue."

Steve blew out a long sigh. "Wow."

"Yeah. Wow. Not exactly what you were expecting to hear tonight, huh? It will be the same recovery as the first time around."

"You gonna do it?" Steve asked, fear creeping into his voice.

"Haven't decided yet," Danny's voice quivered as he spoke. "Wasn't much fun the first time around. But If I don't do it, my overall health could be at risk. What if something happens and I don't bounce back?"

Steve took Danny's hand and laced their fingers together. He covered their clasped hand with his free hand. "I love you, Danny. Let's cross that bridge if and when we come to it."

"I can't ask you to take care of me, Steve."

"You're not asking. I'm offering. Let me do the worrying for a change."

"Or I could just ask for my liver back." A wide smile broke out across Danny's face despite the tears that were trickling down his cheeks.

"I love you, but you're not getting your liver back."

"At least I won't have to share a room with you this time."

And for a split moment in time, everything was back to normal.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve rapped his knuckles against the glass door of Danny's office. Danny glanced up from his keyboard and momentarily stopped typing, acknowledging Steve and nodding to come in. It wasn't often they asked for permission to enter each other's offices or homes, they simply let themselves in. For the most part, they lived in each other's back pockets. But today, Steve felt Danny needed some privacy, some personal space to emotionally deal with the devastating news he had received the previous day. They didn't have a case on the front burner, so it was a much needed day to catch up on the endless mound of growing paperwork on each team member's desk. Steve pushed through the door as Danny went back to typing.

"Hey," he said making brief eye contact with the blond. Danny gave him a half smile before turning his attention back to his keyboard. Steve lowered himself into the leather chair opposite Danny's desk and chuckled to himself. Danny had just expressed about a dozen and a half facial expressions in the time it took Steve to move from the door and take up occupancy in Danny's over stuffed leather chair. "You ready to get out of here and grab something to eat?"

Danny mumbled something incoherent as the typing continued, his blue eyes darting back and forth across the display before him. "Yeah, just give me a few minutes."

"Whatcha' doin'?" Steve asked as he leaned back casually, extending an arm over the back of the chair.

"Updating my will," Danny replied without missing a beat. He kept his eyes glued to the monitor and continued his fluid typing, without making eye contact or changing his expression.

Steve's face hardened with concern and he sat up straight in the chair. He wasn't sure if Danny was being his normal sarcastic self or if he was indeed being honest. "You serious?" Steve remarked, his voice hitching. After Danny's revelation that he needed surgery again on his liver, it wouldn't surprise him if Danny _was_ serious. His partner liked order. Every _'t'_ crossed, every _'i'_ dotted and the peace in knowing that if anything _did_ happen to him, _God forbid_ , his kids would be taken care of.

"Don't worry," Danny quipped with the straightest face, the fluid typing continuing. "I'm leaving you my car."

Steve was shocked into silence. "I don't want…"

Blue eyes peered over the monitor and Danny's face broke out in a wide grin. "Would you _relax_? Huh? I'm just finishing up some reports so we can get out of here and grab that dinner you were talking about. Which, by the way," Danny gazed over the top of his laptop again and gave Steve a lopsided grin. "Is on _you_."

"You can't do that to a person, Daniel," Steve ground out as he pounded a balled up fist into the flattened palm of the opposite hand. He blew out a breath and slid back into his seat.

"Do what?" Danny asked, the keystrokes momentarily stopping as he studied Steve's face, which was now scrunched up from concern and a dash of anger. He motioned with his fingers around his own face and then pointed to Steve. "You've got aneurism face going on. What's the matter with you?"

"What's the matter with me- what's the matter with _you_?" Steve released a frustrated sigh. He clasped his hands together tightly then released them. "You can't joke about something this serious, okay?"

Danny rolled his eyes and dropped back in his chair, throwing his hands up in the air before folding them across his chest. "I can't win with you. I'm either damned if I do or damned if I don't."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Steve shot back, his voice tight.

"You're the one constantly telling me that I'm always negative- always, always, _always."_

"That's because you _are."_

"So, I'm trying to make a little joke here, dissolve some of the tension that's been building in my head for the past day. Cut me a little slack, alright? It's not like you're the one that has to go under the knife again. You were lucky, you weren't even conscious for it the first time around. You have no idea the anxiety involved."

Steve held his hands up, signaling a truce. "I'm sorry. I'm just concerned about you."

"And I appreciate that. Truth be told, I'm a little concerned about the whole thing myself." Danny shut his laptop and pushed it to the side. "My way of dealing with uncomfortable situations is by making quirky little jokes." Danny shrugged his shoulders and gave Steve a sheepish smile. "You of all people should know that by now."

"Have you told the others yet?"

Danny glanced over Steve's shoulder at Kono and Chin shutting down the computer mainframe for the evening. He shook his head. "No, not yet," he said quietly. "Still trying to wrap my own head around the idea."

"What about Gracie and Charlie? Or Rachel?"

"Nope to all three. Like I said, it still hasn't completely sunk in yet. And to be honest, I'm not even sure I want to go through all that again."

"But your health…"

"I know. But you know, there are a lot of things to consider. It's not exactly life or death like it was in your case. So, maybe I can't be as active as say maybe _you_ would like me to be or I can't have as many beers as I would like after a tough case. I can adapt." Danny shrugged his shoulders and leaned back in his chair. "I moved 5000 miles to a place I was absolutely positive I was going to hate and it didn't kill me. I'm sure I can deal with this as well if I decide not to have the procedure done."

"You scared?"

" _Scared_?" Danny scoffed at the idea. "I work with you on a daily basis and you think _this_ scares me?"

Steve nodded.

Danny leaned forward and picked up the framed picture of Grace and Charlie, studying it for a long moment. He ghosted his thumb across the picture of his children then swiped his knuckle across the corner of his eye to catch the stray tear before it had a chance to fall. He returned the frame to its sacred spot and finally locked eyes with Steve. "More like _terrified_."

"I got your back, Danny." Steve looked over his shoulder and waved to Kono and Chin as they both left their offices. "We all have your back. We're gonna get through this."

"You think I should do it?"

Steve nodded in agreement. "I do, yes."

"Maybe you wouldn't be so quick to make that decision if it were you that had to be cut open again."

Steve stood up and motioned towards the door. "Let's get out of here for the day. Eat and sleep on it and make a decision tomorrow."

Danny huffed out a semi sarcastic chuckle. "There you go trying to take control again." He stood up from his chair, slid his phone in his pocket and followed Steve out of his office. "You do realize that I have to make this decision, not you, right?"

Steve slipped his arm over Danny's shoulder. "Of course you can make your own decision, but nothing says I can't offer up my opinion."

Danny sighed and shook his head. He threw his hands up in the air. "God help me. Again, it's a no win with you."

"You ever think that maybe you might need to take something for this anxiety of yours."

"I do, you putz."

"Yeah? Well, maybe they don't have the dosage right."

"It's called _deep breaths_. I take deep breaths for my anxiety. You think I need to be anxious about taking drugs on top of everything else I got going on?" Danny stopped and flipped off the light switch. "What do you say we call it a day and head home instead. Yours – mine – I… I don't care tonight. Let's order dinner in? _I_ pick the place this time."

Steve slid his had around Danny's waist and then snuck it into his pants pocket. "Okay," He dangled the snatched Camaro keys in front of Danny's face. " _But_ I get to drive."


	3. Chapter 3

Authors note: I sincerely apologize to anyone that started to read this and was thrown when they found out it was a Steve/Danny pairing. I hate that this site doesn't have tags that you can click to warn readers and when I upload a story, I forget to add in that kind of warning. Again. I am so sorry if I offended anyone. I will try my best to keep this in mind when posting future stories.

* * *

"Quit," Danny mumbled groggily as he brushed Steve's hand off his abdomen. "That tickles." Danny rolled onto his side facing Steve and pulled the blankets up to his chin. He exhaled quietly and sighed with content when Steve draped an arm over his waist and pulled him close. Danny burrowed his head further into his pillow, his breaths evening out as he settled into Steve's embrace. He opened one eye and caught Steve staring at him. "What? Why are you staring at me? Go back to sleep." Danny closed his eye and shifted under the covers. "It's not even the butt crack of dawn yet," he mumbled softly.

Steve ran his hand up and down Danny's back. "Sorry," he whispered against Danny's unruly hair as he dropped a kiss to his forehead. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Danny forced an eye open and caught Steve staring at him again. "What?"

"Huh?"

"You're staring at me again." Danny's voice was raspy with sleep. "You should be sleeping, not staring."

"You can barely see your scar," Steve blurted out of the blue. "If I didn't already know it was there, I wouldn't even know you had surgery."

"You can thank Melissa for that," Danny mumbled while pulling the covers back over his shoulders.

"Melissa?" Steve questioned. He pushed the covers down to Danny's waist, exposing his midsection so he could get another look at Danny's barely visible scar.

Danny shivered as the cool morning air hit his bare skin. "Yeah," his voice was low and muffled from the fabric of his pillow and blankets pulled tight against his throat. He pushed Steve's lingering hand away. "She gave me this concoction of different lotions to put on it to keep the scarring to a minimum."

"Huh." Steve made a face and laid his head back into his pillow. He folded his arms against his chest and sulked. "How come you didn't share any of this miracle lotion with me?"

Danny shifted up onto an elbow and rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding me? Seriously? _This_ is keeping you awake?"

"No, Daniel, I'm not kidding. My scar looks like a race track compared to yours. A little knowledge of this lotion of yours would have been much appreciated."

"First off, you Neanderthal," Danny shot a finger in the air, "this is a lousy time to be concerned about what _your_ scar looks like compared to _mine_." He yanked the covers back up to his chin and jabbed Steve in the chest. "Secondly, you were so hell bent on breaking all of the post-op rules that when I _did_ mention the lotion to you, you laughed at me and said ' _men don't use that worthless crap'_. _Your_ words, _not_ mine." Danny dropped his head back into his pillow and tightened the blankets around his chin. "And third, I'm not the one that kept busting open my sutures by chasing wayward criminals over balconies and down the sides of buildings. I actually listened to my doctor."

"That was _one_ time."

Danny scoffed at Steve's memory. "Whatever you say, Babe. Then apparently that was all it took to rip open your nicely healing seam." Danny turned Steve's watch and read the time. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to go back to sleep. You can either join me in dreamland or continue to sulk against the headboard. The choice is yours."

Steve relented and slid back under the covers. "Fine."

Danny cracked an eye open and chuckled. Steve was still sulking. "If it makes you feel any better," he began, stopping only to let a yawn escape. "In a few weeks, my scar will look worse than yours."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Danny tells Grace. Thank you to all who have been following and reviewing. I hope that you are enjoying the story.

* * *

"Grace, are you even listening to me?" Danny's voice was filled with annoyance. He leaned forward on the ottoman and flicked Grace's knee with his finger to get her attention. _"Grace."_

"Yeah, Danno," Grace replied through giggles, never taking her eyes off her phone. "I'm listening." She tapped the screen with her thumbs in fluid succession. She pulled her legs up onto the couch and folded them under her. The pillow cradled in her lap was now tucked under her arm as she continued her on-screen conversation.

"Really?" Danny asked in disbelief. He crossed his feet at the ankles, folded his arms across his chest, and blew out a frustrated breath. "Okay. What did I just say?"

Grace barely glanced up from the screen before shrugging her shoulders.

"Could you at least give me the courtesy of prying your nose out of your phone while I try and have a serious conversation with you? Please? Can you do that for me?" Danny knew he sounded agitated but he was beyond annoyed with his daughter's dismissal of their conversation before it even got started. "Who are you even talking to? I told you, I needed to talk with you about something important."

"I'm talking to Will." Grace blushed innocence. "He wants to know if I can go to a movie with him in an hour." She didn't even have to give Danny her puppy dog eye pout before he caved.

"Okay," he relented. "You give me your phone and your undivided attention for the next twenty minutes," Danny laid his palm out flat in Grace's direction, "And you can go to the movies with Will."

Grace's face lit up like a Christmas tree. She grinned wide and dropped her phone into her father's outstretched hand without any further resistance. "Thank you, Daddy."

Danny stared at the phone in his hand and chuckled. When had his daughter grown up? He handed it back to Grace and shrugged. "Maybe you should at least tell him I said you could go."

Grace sent a quick reply to Will and then powered off her phone before handing it to Danny. "You have my undivided attention, Danno."

"When did you grow into such a beautiful young lady?" Danny got up and moved from the ottoman to the couch beside Grace.

"Is something wrong?" Grace asked. Her giddiness was quickly replaced with worry.

Danny released the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He had already told Rachel earlier in the day about his upcoming surgery and made her promise not to say anything to Grace but to let him tell her instead. The first surgery was hard on everyone. No one could have anticipated the turmoil Danny had experienced from Rachel and Stan for endangering his own life just to save Steve's. Rachel was torn between furious and proud. _Furious_ that his own children may lose their father. _Proud_ that he was willing to put his own life on the line for that of a friend. Now it had all come full circle and Danny's health was still in jeopardy.

"I uh – I," Danny stammered unable to say the words.

"What's wrong, Danno?" Grace's brown eyes pled with her father to tell her the truth.

"I have to have surgery again." Danny offered Grace a brave smile. His heart was beating wildly in his chest and he kept telling himself he wasn't going to cry in front of his daughter. "Apparently my liver isn't growing back the way that it should."

"But I thought that your check-ups were all okay?" Grace's voice held a nervous tremor.

Danny turned on the couch and placed reassuring hands on Grace's shoulders. She was beginning to tremble and Danny could see her brown eyes begin to glisten with unshed tears. "It's going to be okay. I promise."

"You promised last time you were going to be okay."

Danny brushed away the tears that were trickling down Grace's cheeks with his thumbs. "And I didn't break that promise. You hear me? I _am_ fine. My doctor is just a little concerned about the way my liver is re-growing."

"Does Uncle Steve need surgery too?" Grace hugged the pillow in her lap as if it were her life line.

"No. Uncle Steve is fine. He's actually better than fine. You remember when Melissa and I were together and I was stabbed?" Grace nodded, the horrifying memory that she had worked so hard at burying, returned to the surface. "Well, apparently, there was scar tissue on my liver from that stab wound. When the doctor's took part of my liver and gave it to Uncle Steve to save his life, they made the cut near that scar. Because of that previous scarring, my liver isn't growing back the way it should."

"So what are they going to do?"

"Basically the same surgery as before when I gave Steve part of my liver. But this time, they will cut out the part with the old scar tissue so when my liver starts to regenerate, there won't be anything blocking it from growing this time."

"Are you scared?" Grace asked as she wrapped her arms around Danny's neck. Her hugs always seemed to be the Band-Aid that Danny needed when he was having a rough day.

Danny let out one of his nervous chuckles. He couldn't lie to his daughter. "I'm terrified, Monkey."


	5. Chapter 5

"Danny?" Steve called as he let himself into Danny's home, scanning the living room for his partner.

"Yo!" Danny hollered from another room. "I'm in the kitchen."

On the couch was an open box of crayons and a coloring book. Steve wrinkled his brow in confusion. Unless Danny had decided to revisit his childhood, the coloring book and crayons meant Charlie was somewhere nearby. Steve was certain that Danny had told him Rachel was keeping the kids for the next two weeks until he was back home from the hospital after his surgery.

"Ouch! Son of a bitch!" Danny grumbled as dishes clattered in the sink.

"You okay in there?" Steve called out. He turned around and brought his fingers to his lips. "Shh," he whispered. "I don't want him to know anyone's with me. Give me a minute, alright?" Steve turned the corner and made his way into the kitchen. "What are you doing?" he asked as he surveyed the kitchen and the disheveled blond standing over the sink with oven mitts covering both his hands. He stepped into Danny's personal space, pressing himself up against his back. Steve dropped a kiss to the side of Danny's neck as he wrapped his strong arms around his partner's waist.

Danny turned in Steve's embrace and leaned against the counter. "You care to do that properly now?" He removed the oven mitts and tossed them onto the counter. Danny turned his face and met Steve halfway for a kiss. "Mmm. That's much better."

"What are you doing?" Steve asked again.

"Well, as you can see from the burn marks on my forearm, I am in the process of attempting to make Charlie monster cookies." Danny nodded as he picked up the spatula and began to remove the newest batch of cookies off the cookie sheet and placed them on a wire rack to cool.

"I thought Charlie was going to be staying with Rachel for the next few weeks." Steve picked up one of the cookies and popped it into his mouth. His face scrunched up as the cookie burnt the roof of his mouth.

"Those, uh…" Danny tried not to laugh. "Those just came out of the oven, you Neanderthal."

"They're really good, except for the burning aspect of them."

Danny threw his hands up in the air and just rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Rachel dropped Charlie off this morning on her way to the airport."

"Airport?" Steve questioned. "Where the hell is she going?"

"Well, her and Stan have vacation plans to go to Italy."

"Italy? What about your surgery? She's supposed to keep the kids while you're on the mend."

"I know this. Apparently she had my procedure penciled into her calendar on the wrong week. How you can screw something like that up is beyond my scope of reasoning, but this is Rachel we're talking about here."

"Did she even apologize? I mean, come on man, that's a major thing to screw up."

"Of course she apologized. She's not completely heartless. But it also leaves me with quite the dilemma."

"What's that?" Steve questioned as he popped a second cookie into his mouth.

" _What's that?_ Are you kidding me? I'm scheduled for surgery in two days, I have to be at the hospital in four hours for all of the pre-op testing and now I need to find someone to watch the kids while I do that." Danny motioned with his hand toward the paper on the island counter top. "Oh, while I'm thinking about it, add bread and eggs to my grocery list, would you please?"

"I'll keep an eye on the kids for you this afternoon."

"That would be awesome. Thank you, you're a lifesaver.

"Don't mention it." Steve picked up the paper and scanned the list. "What's all this for?"

"I'm going to spend the afternoon making up some meals and freezing them for when I come home. I remember what it was like last time and I know that I will be in no shape to cook for a few weeks. And If I'm going to have the kids, I need some meals made ahead."

"Danny, you're going to be in the hospital for at least a week. Who's going to watch the kids for you?"

"Ah, that would be my lovely mother. She's flying in tomorrow afternoon."

"I thought you didn't want your mom here." Steve made a face when Danny nodded in agreement. "Something about over-bearing and you'd get no actual rest because she would constantly be fluffy your pillows or straightening your blankets or forcing food on you. She is a mom you know, mom's do that kind of thing, take care of their kids when they are sick."

"You have no idea what she is like when you are under the weather. Believe me, be thankful she wasn't able to make it out here the first time around." Danny shrugged his shoulders and folded his arms against his chest. "Besides, Rachel kind of left me no choice. I'm not comfortable leaving Grace alone with Charlie for a few hours, let alone an entire week. I'm not going to ask you to watch them. Besides, knowing you, you won't leave my side. Grover has his own house full. And the others, they're busy with their own lives. It'll be fine." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Just don't let her rearrange my cupboards or feed my children macaroni with ketchup sauce. Please, I'm begging you. I'll have plenty of pasta sauce prepared if she feels the need to try and be Italian."

Steve tossed the grocery list to the counter. "Don't worry about anything, Danny."

"See," Danny shook his finger in the air. "Now, statements like _that_ bring my anxiety level up two full notches."

Steve smirked sideways. "Hey guys," he called out. "It's safe to come in."

"What? _What guys_? Steven, what did you do?" Danny questioned. He made his way around the island and was greeted in the doorway of the kitchen by his friends and colleagues. Each one carried a bag with them and for the first time in a long time, Danny Williams was shocked into silence.

"We got you covered, brah," Kono smiled wide as she deposited her bag on the counter and enveloped Danny into a tight embrace. "We all prepared one of your favorite dishes so when you get home, all you have to do is take it out of the freezer and throw it in the oven. Presto, dinner is served."

Danny was speechless.

"It's the least we could do," Chin offered as he pulled a now teary-eyed Danny into a brotherly hug. "We don't want you to overdo it when you come home. We're gonna need you back at the office ASAP to keep McGarrett in line. You're the only one that seems to be able to keep him under control."

Danny swiped at a stray tear as it cascaded down his cheek. "I'm touched." Danny held a hand up over his heart. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, Buddy," Steve wrapped an arm around Danny's shoulder and pulled him to his side. "You're _Ohana_ , we love you. You can count on us."

"Hope your mom doesn't mind company because we all plan on popping in for visits," Grover said as he set his meal on the island counter top. "And don't worry, my wife cooked my contribution. I only know how to work the grill."

"Thank you," Danny said as he pushed Lou's hand to the side and pulled the larger man into a hug.

"Now you don't have to worry about wasting precious time in the kitchen before your surgery. You can spend the rest of the next two days with Charlie and Grace." Steve dropped a kiss to the top of Danny's head. "Where are the kids anyway?"

"Charlie is crashed out on my bed, hopefully for another hour and Grace is with Will at the movies."

"You got room in your freezer for all this stuff?" Chin asked.

"Uh, yeah. I cleaned it out this morning." Danny sniffled. "This is amazing, you guys, and Kono. Thank you so much. You don't know what this means to me."

Lou smiled. "I think we have a pretty good idea."

"I make it through this procedure with my sanity fully intact, next meal out is on me."

The group of friends gathered around Danny and shared a warm embrace. Danny knew he and his family were in good hands.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey," Danny handed a cup of steaming coffee to Steve and settled onto the couch beside him. He tucked his right foot under his left thigh and sank into the comfort of the sofa. "Thanks for all your help with the kids today. God knows I couldn't have gotten everything done had it not been for you. And all the food everyone brought over. You guys are amazing."

Steve placed his coffee on the end table and then leaned to the side, slipped his hand behind Danny's neck and pulled him close. Danny closed his eyes and met Steve half way. Their lips met and Steve kissed Danny softly before pulling back a couple of inches. "You're welcome. I remember coming home from the hospital and being so drained that pouring a bowl of cereal sapped all of my energy. I didn't want you to have to come home and worry about not having the strength to cook." Steve shrugged and rubbed Danny's fingertips between his own. "I mean I'm going to be here and your mom's going to be here, so it's not like you're going to have to do anything anyway…"

Danny pressed a finger over Steve's lips, momentarily silencing him. "Thank you." He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes while running his fingers through the top of his hair. "God, I can't wait until this is all over and everything returns to normal. My anxiety level is through the roof making sure I have everything lined up for my mom while I'm in the hospital. Between school for the two kids and all of Grace's after school activities, I hope she can pull her _'soccer mom'_ persona out of retirement _._ " Steve nodded in understanding as he took a sip of his coffee. Danny grinned and let out a small chuckle. "I put some of that grass fed butter in there for your uh, you know… your _brain_ stimulation."

"You're a funny guy." Steve took another swig and cocked an eyebrow. "But this isn't mine. You bought some of your own, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but it isn't going in my coffee, that's for damn sure." Danny shrugged and brought his own coffee mug to his lips, hesitating a moment before taking a sip. He glanced at Steve and placed his mug on the coffee table. "I couldn't do this without you." His voice had gone quiet and raspy and he placed his hand on Steve's elbow and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I feel like all of this is my fault to begin with. If you hadn't…"

"No," Danny said firmly as he held up a hand stopping Steve before he could finish. "If I _hadn't_ , you'd be dead. That's the bottom line." Danny shifted on the couch. "No one could have predicted that this would happen. I don't regret it for one moment and I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Steve's grew somber. "I know you would, pal." And that's what Steve loved the most about Danny Williams. He never thought of himself first.

"Let's just not… let's not go there. Okay?" Danny closed his eyes and took a deep breath, dropping his head into his upturned hands. The moment the doctor told them Steve was going to die if he didn't receive a new liver burned through his mind like a lit fuse on a stick of dynamite. It had all happened so fast. His heart had already decided to give Steve half of his liver before his mind or anyone else could tell him 'no.' "Were the kids good for you today?" Danny asked, desperately needing to change the subject before he went crazy.

Steve huffed and rolled his eyes. He deposited his mug on the coffee table and turned to face Danny full on. His eyes narrowed and he failed miserably to hide the building smirk. "I got a bone to pick with you, Detective Williams."

"Oh? Interesting." Danny cocked an eyebrow. "See it's usually the other way around." And he made a twirling motion with his finger in the air which Steve promptly snatched with one hand. "Hey! _Ow!"_

" _Not_ funny, Daniel." Steve released Danny's crushed fingers, satisfied he put his partner in his place.

Danny placed a hand over his face and groaned. "Oh, God, please… _please_ tell me my children didn't manage to manipulate the former Navy SEAL."

Steve's eyes bugged out. "Manipulate? Is _that_ what you call it? That little boy of yours…"

"Woah. Wait a second there." Danny held out his hand with all five digits high in the air, stopping Steve's rant. "Charlie is _five_ , Steven."

"Well, that _five_ year old conned me into playing this _game_."

Danny flattened his palm against Steve's chest. "Wait? The whip cream one?" Danny started to chuckle when Steve nodded.

"That would be correct my friend. A little warning would have been greatly appreciated." The stony expression on Steve's face finally broke. "I'm fairly certain he had it rigged somehow that I always got blasted in the face with the damn cool whip."

Danny couldn't stop laughing. "Got me six times in a row."

"You're kidding?"

"No I'm not. Took me an hour to blow it all out of my nose." Danny grew serious and glanced towards Grace's bedroom. "Did he uh, did he manage to talk Gracie into playing?"

Steve shook his head and retrieved his coffee from the coffee table. "No. She stayed in her room after Grover dropped her off."

Danny blew out a long sigh and leaned his head back against the couch.

"She's worried about you."

"She shouldn't have to worry about me." Danny dropped both feet to the floor and ran his hands over the top of his head, smoothing his hair back in place. "Isn't that a kick in the teeth? No kid her age should have to worry about their dad's health."

Steve nodded in agreement and gave Danny's thigh a gentle squeeze. "I overheard her talking on the phone." Danny cocked an eyebrow and looked at Steve suspiciously. "I wasn't spying. Alright? She talks kinda loud and her door wasn't closed. Besides, I was looking for Charlie's game in the hall closet. I don't know who she was talking too, but she sounded upset, like she had been crying."

"Probably Will or her friend Katy." Danny stretched his neck to either side, cracking it in the process in the attempt to alleviate some of the building tension. "I'll talk to her later after I put Charlie to bed."

"I just thought you should know."

"I appreciate it." Danny leaned to the side and stole a kiss. "Listen, there're a few things you should know about the surgery."

"You're going to be fine, Danny."

Danny nodded. "I know. I know I will be, _eventually_. Mom said she would stay here with the kids and bring them up later in the day after I'm out of recovery."

"That's good. It's a long procedure to have them waiting, especially Charlie who doesn't fully understand why you have to go through that again."

"Yeah, I agree. Anyway, I just want you to know that I don't react so well to the antiesthetic they use to knock you out."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, placing a hand on Danny's forearm. He could see the anxiety already building on his partner's face.

"When I come too, after surgery, I don't know what happens to me but it's not always good. I get the shakes and I get nauseated and then I start talking goofy." Danny made a face. "I have no control over it. My body just has a bad reaction to the meds or something."

"Same thing happened after the transplant?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah."

"Why didn't you say anything? I don't remember any of that."

"What was there to say? Huh? You had your own list of problems to overcome. And it's not like you were exactly coherent either. I just wanted you to have a heads up in case the doctor comes out and say's that I'm having a rough time coming around. I don't need you freaking out or calling up my mother. Just know that it's normal, for me. It's just something I have to work through and it tends to take me longer than most people."

Steve gave Danny a kiss. "You're gonna be fine, Danny."

"You call vomiting fine? Or getting the shakes so bad they have to layer multiple heated blankets over you to keep you warm and stop the tremors? Just remember that for me, it's all normal."

"How come you never told me?" Steve questioned.

"You had enough on your plate with the transplant and the gun shots. I didn't need you to worry about me on top of everything else you had to deal with."

"But I mean, after the fact. When we were sharing a room. Why didn't you tell me then?"

"Because of just _that_ … it was _after_ the fact. It was rough going for a few hours but it's something I have to work through."

"Just because it's normal for you, doesn't mean I won't worry."

Steve made a face and blew out a long breath, taking Danny's trembling hand in his own. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Danny shook his head trying to assure both Steve and himself. "It's just a little… okay, _very_ unnerving knowing what the ordeal was like last time and knowing that I have to go through all of that again. The pain, the healing process. Like I said before, it wasn't much fun the first time around. I know I'll be fine, _eventually_. It's the getting there, to _that_ point that concerns me. That's all."


	7. Chapter 7

" _I'm gonna die, Danny…"_

" _Consider yourself, Detective…"_

Danny startled awake, sitting upright quickly as the nightmare flashed through his mind. He swiped a hand down his face and looked to his right. Steve was still sound asleep, snoring softly and dead to the world. Danny took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to bring his heart rate back under control. He scrubbed a hand down his face, his heart still beating way too fast. Pushing the blankets down to his waist, he glanced over his shoulder one more time at Steve, thankful his nightmare didn't wake him up as well. A tsunami could hit the island and his partner would be able to sleep right through it. Steve was the soundest sleeper of anyone he had ever met. Well, except for maybe the time Danny was crashing on his couch while looking for a new place to live. Who knew that white noise from a TV could drive the Navy SEAL up the wall?

Danny subconsciously ghosted his fingers down the length of the faint scar adorning his abdomen. Steve would be dead if it weren't for his decision to ignore the command given to him by air traffic control to ditch the plane in the water. "No way in hell," Danny muttered to himself as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and dropped his chin to his chest. He knew there was no way that scumbag drug dealer would have helped him get Steve out of the plane before he drowned. ' _No_ _way in hell!'_ Danny's mind screamed again. He squeezed his eyes shut against the memories of the blood pooling under Steve's seat, his motionless body going pale far too quickly for Danny's linking. _No_. Danny knew that worthless piece of human flesh would have saved his own sorry ass first. The realization hit him hard. He would have probably drowned himself trying to get Steve out of the plane if he had listened to what air traffic wanted him to do. The thought sent shivers down his spine as the idea finally hit home. Not once had he consider his own mortality. They both could have died either way, regardless of which scenario was played out- ditching the plane in the water or landing it on the beach. Danny knew he didn't know how to fly a plane any more than the drug dealer leaning over the back of his seat, breathing down his neck. But he knew a beach landing was going to be his only option if he was going to try and save Steve's life. Looking back, he realized he must have had a guardian angel flying the plane for him because for the life of him, he can't recall how the hell he got the thing on the beach without killing them all.

Danny ran his hand over his face pushing away the sleep and the nightmare. Glancing down at the barely visible scar once again, he wished he still had some of Melissa's miracle cream to use on the round two surgery scar he'd acquire in another day. He didn't want it to end up looking like Steve's. But then again, he made far better decisions regarding his own personal welfare than his partner did.

He slid to the edge of the bed and let his feet hit the floor, the coolness of the wood flooring sending chills through his tired body. Danny's thoughts drifted back to Melissa and her miracle cream. Every night, while he was at home recovering, she would rub the concoction over the sutured skin. It didn't stink like most ointments, but rather smelled of wintergreen and eucalyptus. It was light and refreshing and Danny enjoyed the connection with her. But it was short lived. Danny didn't know what it was that she got so hung up on. Even though the split had been mutual, it still hurt. Both admitted their relationship was no longer advancing to a deeper level and it needed to end before one of them got hurt. Melissa blamed it on Danny's relationship or _'bromance'_ with Steve. Their unique bond that neither Danny nor Steve could really explain. Danny couldn't pinpoint what he blamed their failed relationship on. He knew he loved her, just not the way she needed to be loved. And he accepted that, because when he finally admitted it to himself, his heart was devoted to someone else. He was just too afraid to acknowledge it at the time.

The clock on the nightstand displayed the time as almost two in the morning. Danny groaned inwardly at the ridiculous hour and the insomnia that had swept over him while his mind trailed off in several different directions at the same time. Thoughts of Melissa, his mother's pending arrival later that morning, Steve's apparent quest for non-stop danger and adventure, the upcoming surgery. His mind was being flooded with too many thoughts to even attempt falling back to sleep. He pushed off the bed, made sure Steve was still asleep and padded out into the hallway. Stopping in Charlie's room first to check on his little boy, Danny found his son fast asleep. His little face buried in his pillow, just like Danny slept. He pulled the covers up over his son's body and tucked them securely around his shoulders. Tears began to pool in the corner of Danny's eyes and he swiped them away before they could fall. The kid looked up to him as if he were a superhero. Like nothing bad could ever happen to him. Danny wondered how long that illusion would last. How long before Charlie, just like Grace, learns he bleeds just like everyone else. He leaned forward, kissed Charlie's forehead and smoothed the erratic blond hairs into place atop his head. In the bottom of his heart, he knew without a doubt that if anything happened to him, Stan would take care of his children as if they were his own. He loved Charlie and adored Grace. Yes, Danny was assured his kids would be okay.

Danny shuffled quietly out of Charlie's room and into Grace's. Unlike her brother, she was still covered up with the blankets tucked tightly around her. He scanned Grace's room with the aid of the moonlight filtering through the window. His little girl was growing up way too fast. All the Barbie dolls and accessories had been replaced with posters of rock bands and pom-poms from her cheerleading squad. Her phone was blinking with a new message notification and Danny resisted the urge to see if it was a message from Will. He rolled his shoulders in an attempt to dislodge the building tension between his shoulder blades. Will was a good kid and he trusted him. When Grace was younger, he could have kissed her goodnight and not woken her up. These days, she was a light sleeper and he didn't dare attempt to kiss her forehead like he did Charlie. Not unless he wanted to sport a black eye he was sure to receive from startling her awake.

Glancing back into his bedroom to see if Steve had stirred any, he noticed his own phone was flashing with a message notification. He snagged it off the nightstand and retreated to the kitchen. Beer at two in the morning probably wasn't the best idea he ever had, but he needed something to ease the anxiety that was building in his chest. The kitchen was illuminated in bright light when he opened the refrigerator door. Longboards filled the bottom shelf and Danny grumbled when he realized this would be his last beer for months. He obviously wasn't thinking of the recovery period following surgery when he restocked his fridge. At least there would be beer for Steve. He grabbed a beer from the bottom shelf and a jar of salsa. Beer along with chips and salsa for a late night snack, now that's the ticket. He popped the top off the beer bottle and tossed it in the trash.

Flipping on and off light switches as he moved through the house, Danny wandered into the living room, dumped the bag of chips he snagged on the way out of the kitchen onto the coffee table along with the beer and jar of salsa. He settled onto the couch, tucked his bare feet in between the two cushions and pressed the button on his cell phone bringing it to life. Sure enough there was a message from Max waiting for him. Danny smiled. He missed the quirky coroner. And honoring his promise, he and Max almost immediately began exchanging weekly emails which quickly turned into messages several times a week. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he had a touch of homesickness that Danny could easily relate too. With the exchange of messages, Danny began to regret that he didn't take the opportunity to get to know Max better while he was still living in Hawaii. They talked about cases, the weather, food, his growing relationship with Steve, Max's new line of work… anything was fair game.

The latest message came in about half an hour ago. A Keanu Reeves movie suggestion of all things. Danny chuckled out loud, wondering if Max's obsession with the actor would ever end. Doing the math in his head, he figured it to be about three in the afternoon in Madagascar. He typed a quick reply and flipped on the television to look up the movie.

' _The Lake House, Max?'_ Danny typed into the message bar. _'Really? A romantic love story? That's what you think I need? What the hell… I can't sleep anyway. I'll give it a try. Good to hear from you buddy.'_ Danny re-read the movie description and shrugged his shoulders. If anything, it would put him to sleep. He tossed his phone to the side and grabbed the blanket off the smaller sofa. Two minutes later his phone croaked out Max's assigned frog ringtone. Danny couldn't help but smile even wider. Ever since he called him _'Kermit'_ the day Steve broke out of prison, the nickname stuck like glue.

' _Don't knock it until you watch it all the way through, Detective. And aloha.'_

' _Fine.'_ Danny responded. _'Aloha back. Don't expect me to write any reviews for it. How are you?'_

' _Aside from missing home, we are doing quite well. Sabrina is getting better acclimated with each passing day. She too misses home.'_

' _I gotta admit, the coroner's office doesn't have the quite the same appeal as when you were here. Noelani is fantastic, but she doesn't take my quirky jokes quite as well as you.'_ Danny shifted on the couch and completely forgot that he even started the movie. _'Did I tell you Steve and I had our check-ups?'_ He drummed his fingers on the back of his phone. Max had become an unlikely confidant for him over the last few months. Things that he needed to get off his chest but didn't want to burden anyone else with, Max was there to listen.

' _No, you didn't. How did it go? Is Commander McGarrett treating your liver well?'_

' _He's a Neanderthal, what do you think?'_ Danny hesitated, unsure how to continue. Telling Max was almost as hard as telling Steve _. 'He's recovering quickly, better than the doctor's anticipated. I was certain he would have destroyed my liver by now with his reckless behavior. Much to my surprise, he's almost as good as new.'_

' _That's wonderful news. Please pass along my regards. And what did the doctor have to say about you? You always were the more practical of the two of you.'_

Danny just stared numbly at his phone. He _was_ the more practical of the two of them, so why was it that he was the one who had to go back under the knife? For a split second he was angry. Angry at Steve, angry at himself…

The phone croaked in his lap.

' _Detective?'_

' _Danny?'_ Max tried again.

It took Danny several minutes to respond. _'I'm uh, I'm not doing as well as Steve. Apparently he's the better patient.'_

' _What do you mean?'_

Danny could visualize the concern that was currently washing over Max's features. He most likely stopped whatever it was he was engaged in to start searching the internet for a solution to a problem he didn't even know about yet. The man was a true friend.

' _Apparently my liver isn't regenerating the way it was supposed to._ ' Danny explained. He sucked in some air when he felt the anxiety building again. _'Doctor wants to go in and make a clean cut. Something about damage from when Melissa's ex stabbed me.'_

' _That doesn't make any sense, Detective.'_

Danny was perplexed. Of course it made sense. He had the scar to prove it. _'What do you mean, Max?'_

' _What I mean is that where you were stabbed is nowhere near the liver. If there was damage, it had to be from something else.'_

Danny made a face as he lifted up his t-shirt to examine the two scars. _'Why would the doctor tell me that then?'_

' _I'm not sure. Didn't you suffer a broken rib when you landed the plane?'_

' _Yeah, but wouldn't they have said if something was wrong?'_

' _What if they missed it and they are trying to cover their mistake? Like you have said on many occasions, you're not a doctor so you wouldn't question the validity of their reasons.'_

' _Huh,'_ was all Danny could come up with. He was truly stumped. Now that Max was explaining things to him like the position of the liver and the location of his stab wound, the doctor's reason wasn't making any sense to him. _'Either way, I need to have it fixed.'_

' _You may be looking at a malpractice suit. If they screwed up the initial surgery because a broken rib punctured your liver and they didn't catch it, or they failed to mention it to you, they need to be held responsible for that mistake. They should have never performed the transplant. When is your procedure scheduled?'_

' _Uh,'_ Danny ran his hand over his head, flattening the erratic strands. _'Tomorrow. What should I do?'_ He felt his stomach twist into knots. Having surgery to fix his liver was one thing, engaging in a malpractice suit was a whole new ball of wax that Danny wasn't sure he wanted to get involved in. He just wanted to get the damn thing fixed so he could be on the way to recovering.

' _Well, you can do one of two things. Postpone the procedure and investigate why your doctor would lie to you or go through with it and move on.'_

' _Lovely,'_ Danny responded. _'I should probably talk to Steve in the morning.'_

' _I'm sorry, Detective. That wasn't the news I was expecting to hear from you.'_

' _I'll be fine, Max. Just a hiccup in the road. Take care of yourselves and you'll hear from either Steve or me in a few days.'_

Danny turned off his phone and dropped his head to the back of the couch.

"Hey good lookin'," Steve's voice cut through the quiet and startled Danny. He padded quietly into the living room and plopped down on the couch beside Danny.

"You just scared the shit out of me, Steven." Danny protested, pulling his feet out from between the cushions and Steve's backside.

"What are you doing awake?" Steve glanced at his watch. "Dude, it's like almost three in the morning." Steve yawned and leaned his head on the back of the couch, stealing Danny's blanket in the process.

"I couldn't sleep." Danny yanked the blanket back and covered his feet up. "What are you doing up?"

"Noise from the TV woke me up. What are you watching anyway?" Steve stared straight ahead at the long forgotten television, trying to figure out what Danny was watching.

"Figures the noisy television woke you up. I was watching some movie Max recommended." Danny picked up the remote and turned the TV off. "Another Keanu Reeves movie. I think he has a thing for the guy."

"Oh yeah. Grace and I watched this last week when you took Charlie for his check-up."

Danny eyed him suspiciously. "You willingly watched a romantic love story with my daughter?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah it's actually pretty good. I mean for a chick flick and all. Turn it back on and I'll watch it with you."

"No." Danny shook his head no longer in the mood for a movie. "Listen I was chatting with Max before you came out here."

"Oh yeah? How's he doing?"

"He and Sabrina are doing well. I told him about the surgery tomorrow and why I had to have it and he said that where Melissa's ex stabbed me isn't anywhere near my liver. He thinks the doctor screwed up and missed something. He thinks my broken rib actually caused the damage and that if that's the case, they should have never performed the transplant to begin with."

"Why would they lie about something like that?"

"I don't know. Maybe because they were short on time and jumped the gun without checking me out fully when I volunteered because they knew if they waited you were going to die."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. The procedure is tomorrow. I think I should at least talk to my doctor to find out what the hell is going on."

"I'll go with you." Steve leaned to the side and slipped his hand behind Danny's neck pulling him close before dropping a kiss to his dry lips. "We'll get it figured out. No need to panic just yet."

"I wasn't panicking."

"Yeah, whatever, Danno. I know you better than that."

Danny relented. "Fine. I'm a little panicked."

Steve arched an eyebrow but remained silent. "Come on, let's go back to bed. We can watch the movie in the bedroom if you still can't fall asleep. The end is amazing."

"Did you _cry_?" Danny quirked an eyebrow and a smirk passed over his lips.

"I'm not going to answer that, Daniel." Steve stood up and reached for Danny's hand.

"You did. You cried like a little girl."

"It was extremely emotional."

"Whatever you say, babe." Danny swatted Steve on the butt and followed him into his bedroom, the new dilemma of what to do about the surgery still fresh in his mind. He wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.


	8. Chapter 8

Steve was torn from a deep sleep by a noise he couldn't quite place. He glanced at the alarm clock on his side of the bed and groaned when he realized he had only been back to sleep for a few hours since waking up to find Danny out on the couch having a conversation with Max. He rolled over to nudge Danny awake only to find his partner's side of the bed empty yet again. The sheets were cool against the palm of Steve's hand and he shifted up onto an elbow, becoming more coherent by the second. "Danny?" he whispered into the darkness. Steve squinted against the dark and fumbled with the switch to the light on the nightstand. He managed to find the knob and gave it a single twist, illuminating the room instantly. He turned his head and listened, trying to pinpoint both the noise and the location of his partner. "Danny?" Steve's voice was stronger this time and carried across the room. He surveyed the bedroom and noticed a faint glow coming from underneath the partially shut door of Danny's bathroom.

The unmistakable sound of retching forced Steve wide awake in a split second. He scrambled across Danny's side of the bed and flung his legs over the edge, his bare feet hitting the cool floor. "Danny!" he cried out as he neared the bathroom, toeing the door open carefully. The only light coming from the bathroom was from the nightlight plugged in above the toothbrush holder. It was dim and Steve reprimanded himself for not changing the bulb earlier in the week like he had planned. Steve could barely see, the backlight from the bedroom casting shadows in the already faintly lit room.

Danny was hunched over the toilet on his hands and knees. His left palm was pressed into the tiled floor, fingers spread wide, knuckles white from the pressure. His toes were bent, digging into the floor. Danny's right arm was wrapped around the top of his head, his forehead resting on his forearm, with his face buried in the opening of the toilet seat. Another wave of nausea wracked his body and Danny lurched forward, his back arching, toes and fingers digging further into the tiled floor, trying to keep him anchored.

Steve stepped over the rumpled bath mat and pressed a comforting hand between Danny's shoulder blades, letting his partner know he wasn't alone. "Hey," he said gently as he reached into the open closet for a clean wash cloth to wet. "You okay?" Steve mentally slapped himself. Of course Danny wasn't okay. He was on the floor puking. Who's okay when they are puking? Nobody. Steve ran the dry cloth under cool water and filled a cup with water so Danny could rinse his mouth.

The retching stopped and Danny coughed a few times, spitting the last of the bile into the toilet. He blindly fumbled with the toilet paper roll and Steve flipped on the light so Danny could see better. Danny squeezed his eyes shut tighter and turned his head into the crook of his elbow. "No," he forced out through pursed lips. "Turn it off." Danny's hand hadn't moved from atop the roll of toilet paper, the light shocking his system. "Too bright." He slid his legs out from under himself and put all of his weight on his right hip, using the toilet bowl to keep himself upright.

"What's going on?" Steve asked, voice full of concern as he switched off the light, earning a content sigh from Danny. His mind was swirling with possibilities. Danny hadn't suffered any head injuries that Steve knew of so that ruled out a possible concussion.

"Migraine," Danny whispered, the echo of his own voice rumbling far too loudly in his head.

"Here," Steve offered as he pushed the cup of water into Danny's trembling hand. "Rinse your mouth." He reached over Danny's prone form and snagged some toilet paper and pushed it into Danny's other hand. Then flushed the toilet, getting rid of the contents of Danny's stomach.

"Thanks," Danny managed, his eyes barely open. He took a small swig of water and swirled it around his mouth, collecting the last of the vomit and bile and spit it into the churning water in the toilet bowl as it disappeared. He coughed a few more times and Steve thought he was going to hurl again. Danny caught his breath and settled against the wall, arm draped across the toilet seat. He swiped the toilet paper across his lips and turned it over so he could blow his nose. When he was done, he dropped it into the bowl as well, not bothering to try and flush it away. "Gross," Danny said after spitting into the bowl again.

Steve could feel his own stomach roll. He noticed a box on the counter and picked it up. He took a peek inside and noticed it was empty. On the counter was an unseparated blister pack containing four pills. Next to that were three empty single packs, peeled back and crumpled from the pills being pushed out through the foil. Steve flipped the box over and read the prescription information. _Zomig_. He wasn't even aware Danny got migraines. Sure he had mentioned them in the past whenever Steve was driving him insane, but Steve just chalked it up to Danny being overly dramatic whenever he talked about getting a migraine. He picked up the three empty blister packs and examined them in the palm of his hand. He shifted his gaze from his hand to Danny who appeared to have fallen asleep where he was until his face contorted in pain and he dug his fingers into the base of his skull.

" _God,"_ Danny whimpered, his voice strained. He pressed his fingertips into his left eye socket, trying to seek some form of relief.

Steve, for the first time, didn't know what to do. He turned the box over in his hands and tried to read the directions. He moved the box to the nightlight in order to be able to read the label. _Take one pill. Repeat in two hours if migraine has not receded. Not to exceed four pills in twenty four hours._ Steve did the math in his head and scrunched his face, confused and concerned. When they went back to bed a little after two, Danny was fine. It was now quarter till five and Danny had already popped three pills? "How many of these have you taken?" Steve could feel his heartbeat speed up, beating wildly against his rib cage.

Danny cleared his throat. "Two," he answered without opening his eyes, his fingers now massaging his left temple while his thumb dug into the tight muscles of his neck.

"There are three empty blisters here." Steve held his hand forward for Danny to see the evidence, even though he doubted he was going to open up his eyes to take a look.

"Last one doesn't count."

"Why not?" Steve questioned as he dropped the empty packets on the counter, concerned that Danny may be overdosing, taking so many pills in a short amount of time.

"Didn't stay down." Danny scratched his nose and went back to rubbing his left temple, leaving red patches of skin in his fingers' wake. "Came back up less than two minutes after I swallowed it."

"Oh." Steve shrugged, guessing that made sense.

Danny was taking even controlled breaths and Steve wondered if he was about to throw up again. He had never had a migraine himself so he had no idea the depth of pain Danny was in. He knew they could incapacitate a person pretty quickly, but that was the extent of his knowledge. "Can I get you anything?" he asked feeling useless.

Danny shook his head back and forth slowly. "No," he forced out then let out a short lived chuckle. "Not unless you can figure out how to make it go away." It was obvious to Steve, the pain written on Danny's face and the amount of effort it took to string that simple sentence together that he was in bad shape. The last time he had seen him this out of it was after the liver transplant and even then, Danny's pain was different.

"You want to come back to bed? I'll help you."

"Not yet." Danny grimaced in pain and moved his hands between the base of his skull to his left shoulder blade, digging his fingers in deep, massaging the tight muscle and the knot that was embedded in the same muscle. "Fuck," he muttered through clenched teeth. "Haven't had one this bad in a while."

"Should I call your mom?" Where that came from Steve wasn't sure. Moms knew how to fix everything, right? Well, maybe not his own mom.

"God no," Danny grumbled. "She'd ask you how many times I've thrown up, how many pills I've taken and then make you promise to take me to the ER."

"Do you _need_ the ER?" Steve asked seriously.

Danny forced his right eye open and glared at Steve the best he could. "No," he mumbled and then shrugged. "At least not yet."

It was obvious to Steve, talking did nothing more than sap Danny of energy he didn't have to spare in the first place. It was unsettling to see Danny so quiet and still.

Danny's head fell towards his shoulder and he startled awake.

"Hey pal, let's get you back to bed." Steve patted the side of Danny's bare knee.

Danny grumbled something incoherent but held out a shaky hand for Steve to help him to his feet. Once upright, he staggered a bit as the room began to spin. Steve slid an arm around his waist and pulled him flush against himself to hold him steady. When Danny stopped swaying, Steve ushered him through the bathroom door towards the bed.

"Hold up," Danny ground out as he stopped walking. He was taking deep breaths and pushing them out slowly, his eyes trained on the floor, his grip on Steve's arm tightening with each controlled breath. He turned abruptly towards the bathroom and Steve could hear the vomiting begin again.

Steve wondered if he should negate Danny's choice not to go the ER. He spun around and followed Danny back into the bathroom, refilling the water glass and rinsing out the washcloth. He pressed the cool cloth into the back of Danny's neck and rubbed his back, mentally blocking the hurling that was taking place; he would not throw up as well.

"Sorry," Danny said as he spit the last bit into the toilet and then fumbled with the handle to flush away the contents. He pulled the washcloth from Steve's fingers and ran it over his face, the coolness helping keep the dizzy spell at bay. He blew his nose and swiped his mouth clean with another scrap of toilet paper.

"Hey, don't worry about it." And leave it to Danny to apologize for getting a migraine.

"Sometimes they just hit me. You know. I sleep funny and get a crick in my shoulder blade and it snowballs from there. Pain goes up the back of my neck and straight into my left eye." Danny slumped against the wall beside the toilet, one bare foot covering the other. He started to shiver and unconsciously began rubbing his feet over one another trying to get warm.

"You cold? I can grab you a blanket from the bed." Steve asked as he crouched in front of Danny, placing his hands on Danny's trembling knees.

"No." Danny gulped and screwed his eyes shut tighter. "I think I can make it back to bed." He held out a hand for Steve to help him up. When he felt Steve's fingers lock around his forearm, he used his free hand to push himself up off the floor. Again the room tilted and Steve had him pinned to his side so he wouldn't fall over. "I just need to get flat on my back and sleep it off."

Steve helped Danny back to the bed. Danny plopped down on the bed and laid down, turning over to shield his eyes from the light. He buried his head into his pillow and pulled the blankets up tight around his neck. Steve switched off the lamp and went back to the bathroom to re-wet the washcloth with cool water. He didn't know much about migraines, but he knew what a cool cloth to the forehead did for him when he had a miserable headache. He pressed the cool cloth to Danny's forehead, pushing the stray blond strands out of the way.

"Thanks, babe," Danny mumbled, his fingers replacing Steve's on the damp cloth. He moved the cloth to his left temple and tried to find a comfortable position that didn't further tweak his neck and offered some sort of relief from the pressure that continued building in his skull.

Steve watched him for a few moments as Danny shifted on the bed until he found a comfortable spot. He could almost tell the instant the pain medication finally kicked in. The tight lines around Danny's eyes disappeared, his breathing returned to normal and he wasn't mumbling curses under his breath as the pain exploded in his skull. Danny all but melted into the bed. Steve breathed a sigh of relief when Danny finally managed to drift off to sleep. He smoothed a hand over his sleeping partner's back, careful not to disturb him. He grabbed his cell phone from the charging station on Danny's dresser and quietly slipped out of the room. He had a phone call to make.


	9. Chapter 9

Steve rubbed the sleep from his eyes and rolled his neck releasing the built-up tension. There was no way he could go back to sleep after watching Danny go through battling a migraine. He tossed his phone on the counter top and decided a cup of coffee was in order before he made his phone call. He fumbled with the coffee filters, finally managing to get them separated after several attempts. A second rounded scoop of coffee grounds joined the first in the bottom of the paper filter, assuring a strong pot of java. Steve turned on the tap and filled the metal carafe to the top with water. He was going to need more than one cup to make it through the morning. He pushed the power button, bringing the coffee pot to life. Danny had mentioned picking up one of the Keurig coffee pots for when they were on the go and didn't have time to brew a whole pot and now Steve was wishing they had one so he could have an instant cup of coffee. He pulled Danny's favorite mug out of the dish drainer and set it beside the coffee pot. His stomach rumbled as the aroma of coffee began to fill the kitchen. Steve opened the refrigerator and pulled out the sleeve of cinnamon swirl bagels and Danny's whipped mixed berry cream cheese. It wasn't his favorite but it would have to do.

While he waited for the coffee to brew and the bagel to toast, Steve pulled out his phone and pulled up his list of contacts. He scrolled through them and finally found the person he was looking for, Danny's sister Bridgette. He checked his watch for the time and did the math in his head. New Jersey was six hours ahead of them. Danny's mom was most likely already somewhere in the air on her way to Oahu. They were scheduled to pick her up at the airport around four that afternoon. Steve cast a glance in the direction of the bedroom wondering if Danny would be any better by then. He wasn't sure how long the effects of the migraine would last. Selecting Bridgette's name, he pressed the call button as he settled back in his seat at the end of the island. The toaster popped up, startling him just as Bridgette answered the phone.

" _Hello?"_ came the chipper voice he remembered from her visit to the island.

"Bridgette, it's Steve. Danny's partner."

" _Steve? Hey, how are you? It's kinda early there. Is everything alright?"_

Steve could hear the concern in her voice and he thought maybe calling her wasn't such a good idea after all. He didn't want to scare her and he could have just waited until Danny's mom arrived to ask about the migraines. But that wouldn't be for hours and he needed to talk to someone now.

"I'm not really sure," he finally managed. Danny was asleep so that was a plus and he hadn't heard any stirring or vomiting since he left the bedroom. "Danny has a bad migraine and I'm not sure what to do to help him. I didn't even know he got them. I always thought he was joking when he said he was getting one."

" _Oh yeah. He used to get some bad ones when he was married to Rachel."_ Bridgette chuckled when she heard Steve snort in the background. _"No, he didn't get them because of Rachel."_

"I've met her. She isn't exactly a bucket of sunshine."

" _Funny. He gets a pinched nerve or something in his neck that causes them."_

"What can I do for him?" Steve questioned as he poured coffee into Danny's mug.

" _How bad is this one?"_ Bridgette asked.

"I'm guessing pretty bad. He was throwing up and had taken three pills."

" _Three?"_ Bridgette gasped. _"Holy crap! Is he still throwing up? You should take him to the ER."_

"He said the last one doesn't count because it came back up," Steve's voice trembled with concern for his partner.

" _But he was bad enough that he had to take it. How long has he been like this?"_

"A couple hours maybe. He was awake at 2, we went back to bed close to 3 and it's just now past 5."

" _And he took 3 pills in 2 hours?"_ she questioned _._ "Is he still getting sick? You need to take him to the ER."

"No, the vomiting has stopped and he finally fell asleep."

" _Then let him sleep. If he starts throwing up again you need to take him to the ER. They can give him a cocktail shot to get rid of it."_

"Okay, thank you." Steve got up and retrieved the forgotten bagel from the toaster, spreading the cream cheese in a thin layer over each half. He grinned at the thought of how much cream cheese Danny would have used. He cradled his cell phone between his ear and shoulder as he picked up the bagel plate and the fresh cup of coffee and returned to his chair at the end of the island. "Hey, while I have you on the phone. How are you doing? Danny filled me in a little on what was going on back home. Just wanted to make sure you were doing okay."

" _I'm alright. Talking with him before I flew home helped. Ted and I are going to get some counseling to work through our problems. He wasn't even aware I was so unhappy because he works all the time."_

"Good. You know counseling has helped Danny and I." Steve took a swig of his coffee and swallowed, the caffeine slowly waking up his brain.

" _You two went to counseling?"_ Bridgette snickered. _"What for?"_

"Well it is mandated by the state for one, for all law enforcement personal to obtain a certain number of hours of therapy. Danny and I just kept it up. He says it's because I hijacked his life seven years ago. I think it's just because he gets a kick out of arguing with me." Steve took a bite of his bagel. "It's worked though. Look at where we are now."

" _Danny wouldn't give just anyone half of a vital organ. He has Grace and Charlie to consider. You must mean a lot to him. You're good for him too. I've never seen him this happy."_

"He's good for my sanity and personal well-being." Steve shifted in his seat. "I'm assuming he told you about the surgery."

" _He did."_ Bridgette grew silent for a few moments. _"He told me how guilty you feel about it too."_

"He wouldn't be going through this if it weren't for me."

" _You would be dead if it weren't for him. Things happen. No one could have predicted this."_

"I know. He saved my life. I wish there was some way I could repay him."

" _Just be there for him. He's going to need you by his side, both during his recovery and after."_

"Believe me, I don't plan on going anywhere."

" _Danny has always been there for me, even when I tried to convince myself that he wasn't. He's the best person I know. He carries a lot on those broad shoulders of his."_

Steve nodded silently. He knew exactly what Bridgette meant. Danny was the one who had his entire life upended when Rachel uprooted Grace and moved to Hawaii. He was the one who brought his parents back together and saved a forty-year marriage when divorce seemed the only option. Danny was the one who got Eric under control for his sister Stella when everyone else had given up on him. He was the one who had to deal with Matty's epic screw up. And again, it was Danny who suffered because of Rachel's betrayal concerning Charlie. Ultimately being the only one who could save Charlie's young life. Rachel had no other choice but to reveal the truth that Charlie was his son if she wanted him to live. Yes. Danny carried a lot of extra burdens on his shoulders.

" _Hey, still there, Steve?"_ Brigette's gentle voice brought his thoughts back to the present.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I was just thinking about everything Danny has been though since I've known him."

" _He's a tough guy. He'll be okay. I wish I could be there but he doesn't need both mom and me there. Mom will be probably too much to begin with. I know Danny, when he doesn't feel good he wants to be left alone. Checked on, but left alone. Remember that, Steve. He doesn't like to be pampered. He's going to want some space."_

"What kind of space?" Steve questioned before taking a swallow of his lukewarm coffee. He made a face and stared at the coffee cup like it had betrayed him, allowing the coffee to cool off without his permission. "You don't think he will want me around to help?"

" _No, that's not what I meant at all. It just means that he's going to need his rest and instead of being in the same room with him, hovering, go do laundry or read a book or entertain the kids. He will ask for help when he needs it."_

Steve snorted. "Danny, ask for help? Now that's a new one."

" _He will if you don't hover. He hates that. When he had surgery on his knee in high school that was all our mom did. It drove him crazy."_

"Okay, I can do no hovering." Steve nodded his head more for his own benefit that Bridgette's.

" _And if you need me to talk him down from one of his many rants that I'm sure he will have afterwards, give me a call. Anytime."_

"Thank you, Bridgette for all of your advice." Steve turned his head when he heard movement from the hallway. "I'm going to let you go. I think one of the kids just got up."

" _I don't envy you there."_ Brigette giggled as Steve groaned inwardly. He was hoping to be able to go back to bed for a few hours. Snuggle up as close to Danny as he could get without disturbing him. Now that idea was pushed to the back burner as Charlie poked his head into the kitchen.

"I'm hungry," he said dragging his flannel blankie dotted with faded police cars behind him as he made his way towards the island where Steve was sitting. Charlie yawned and pushed his balled-up fists into his eyes to work the sleep away. "Where's Danno?" he asked through a stifled yawn. "I want pancakes."

"Bridgette, I'm going to have to let you go. Danny's mini-me is requesting breakfast."

"Not breakfast, Uncle Steve, _pancakes_ ," Charlie corrected.

" _He's up kinda early. I don't envy you there but I love that little boy."_

"Me too. I'll give you a call later when we pick up your mother from the airport to let you know she arrived safely."

" _Thank you. Tell Danny I hope he feels better and I'll check in on him after the procedure. It's tomorrow, right?"_

"Yes, that's still the plan." Steve stood up and poured himself a refill to warm up his cup of coffee. "We will keep you posted. Thanks again, Bridgette."

" _Anytime. Love you guys."_

"Love you too." Steve clicked his phone off and set it down on the counter-top. He turned his head towards Charlie who was leaning against the island, eye lids drooping as if he were about to nod off. Steve gave him his full attention. "So, you want pancakes, huh?"

Charlie's eyes snapped open filled with hope. "In football shapes like Danno makes, with lots of syrup."

"Danno says 'easy on the syrup'." Danny's raspy voice echoed in the open kitchen.

Steve's eyes darted from Charlie to his partner leaning against the kitchen doorway for support.

"Hey," Steve said as he began to stand up and make his way towards Danny.

Danny waved his hand motioning for Steve to stay where he was.

"You okay? You need anything?" Steve was giving Danny the once over to make sure he was alright.

"I'm good. I heard Charlie get up." Danny made his way into the kitchen and leaned against the island for support.

"Yes. This little version of you," Steve leaned to the side and ruffled Charlie's blond hair. "is asking for pancakes." Steve stood up and ushered Danny into his vacant seat. "But I'll make them. Not you."

Danny nodded as Charlie climbed into his lap and dropped his head onto his father's shoulder. Danny breathed in and smiled as he tucked Charlie's blanket around his son's small body.

"How's the head?" Steve asked as he pulled the items from the cupboards to make the pancakes.

"I'll live." Danny managed a small smile. "I'm only going to stay up for a little bit. I wanted to make sure Charlie was okay. No pancakes for me."

"He's good if you want to go back to bed." Steve turned towards Charlie and the two did an exploding fist-bump in the air. "Aren't you bud?"

"Uncle Steve's making pancakes!" Charlie yelled loudly.

Danny cringed and squeezed his eyes shut. "Not so loud, buddy."

"Sorry, Danno." Charlie whispered through his fingers as he placed a hand over his mouth.

"It's okay," Danny mumbled as he picked Charlie up and placed him on the stool beside him. "You two enjoy your pancakes." He stepped around the counter and pulled Steve into a warm embrace. "Thank you," he whispered in his ear before placing a quick kiss to his lips. "For this and earlier."

"Anytime, Babe." Steve replied as he returned the kiss. "Go get some more sleep. I'll keep him quiet."


	10. Chapter 10

Danny rolled from his side to his stomach and buried his face in the crook of his arm. Early morning had come and gone and if he forced his eyes open long enough, the light in his bedroom would have told him it was probably after noon. The fireworks that were exploding in his skull earlier that morning had subsided substantially, and he felt like he could form a coherent thought again if he wanted to. When a migraine hit, he developed what his doctor called sensory overload. Lights, sounds, smells, even the lightest of touches affected him in the worst ways. Lights blinded him, smells made him nauseas, sounds made his ears ring and his head feel like it might explode. He remembered going shopping for a birthday gift for Rachel one year when he was hit with a migraine in the middle of the perfume section. He had been battling a knot in his shoulder muscle the entire morning which slowly worked its way up his neck and before he knew it, he had tunnel vision and couldn't get out of the store fast enough. How he made it home, he still doesn't know.

Danny groaned and pushed his fingers through his disheveled blond hair, massaging his scalp in the process. He turned his head towards his nightstand to figure out the time and grumbled in disbelief when he realized that he had slept half the day away. _'Fucking migraine,'_ he muttered under his breath as he buried his face in his pillow. He slowly rolled over and sat up, letting the blankets pool at his waste. Danny let out a shaky breath and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. The room was chilly, and he shivered despite the sunshine streaming through the windows. A dozen thoughts crept into his head now that the migraine was all but gone. Where were the kids? Where was Steve? What time did he have to get his mother from the airport? Danny didn't allow himself to worry. He knew that Steve would have the kids taken care of and his mother picked up if it were time, allowing him to rest. His partner had his back at work and at home.

He pushed off the bed and headed for the bathroom, toeing the door open. He flipped on the light and cursed under his breath again when he saw the empty blister packs still on the countertop. Had he really taken three pills? He pushed them into the waste basket and let out a long sigh as he dropped his head forward and leaned into the counter, gripping the edge tightly. He knew it had been a bad one, the evidence of his attempted relief now sitting at the bottom of the trash can. If it hadn't gone away when it did, he had considered having Steve take him to the emergency room. But thank God, once Steve got him back into bed, the meds mercifully kicked in and offered the relief he was so desperately seeking.

His reflection staring back at him in the mirror made Danny cringe. His face was far too pale, while darkness circled bloodshot eyes. If he hadn't known better he would have thought he was suffering from a hangover, not the after effects of a brutal migraine. He leaned forward and peered into the mirror, examining the tiny red spots around his eyes. He looked like death warmed over. Felt like it as well. This was not how he wanted to spend the day before he was to have major surgery. He still had so much to do. Like pick his mother up from the airport. Danny shoved off the counter and headed towards the kitchen. He'd pull himself together after he figured out where Steve and his children were.

"Steve," he called as he left the bedroom unsure he liked how raspy his voice sounded. He cleared his throat and called again.

"Uncle Steve went to get Grandma from the airport," Grace responded from the couch, her phone resting in her lap, taking a momentary break from her conversation with Will or Lucy or Katie. "He took Charlie with him."

Danny shuffled over to the opposite couch and sank onto it, pulling the blanket from over the back of it and covering up. He slid down until his head was resting on the armrest. Closing his eyes, he let out a long sigh, the trip from the bedroom to the couch had sapped all his energy.

"You okay, Danno?" Grace asked concerned. It wasn't very often she saw her father down and out. He was rarely sick and if he was, he never showed how it affected him.

"I'm fine, Monkey," he mumbled as he opened his eyes and gave his daughter a small smile. "Just had a bad headache. It's better now." He pointed a finger in the direction of her phone. "Who you talking to?"

Grace blushed and Danny had his answer. _Will._

"You know boys are evil, right?" he asked with his most serious voice.

"Does that make Uncle Steve evil?" Grace countered not taking the bait.

"Uncle Steve passed the boy stage a long time ago. Now, he's just a Neanderthal." Danny grinned despite himself. He loved Steve. Loved everything about the crazy, ninja, jump and then ask how high, animal Neanderthal lunatic that he was. "He get you breakfast?"

"Of course, he did. He made pancakes." Grace leaned forward and whispered even though it was only her and her father in the house. "They aren't as good as yours though. Chocolate chips do not make a bad pancake good." She sat back and spoke louder as she played with her phone in her hands. "He was worried about you. We all were."

"I'm better, baby. I promise. Just a nasty headache."

"I remember you used to get those when we lived in New Jersey."

"Yeah. I haven't had one in a long while." Danny glanced around the room, half expecting Steve to materialize out of thin air. "How long has Steve been gone?"

Grace checked the time on her phone. "Grandma's flight was supposed to land at one. He asked me if I would stay behind in case you needed anything because he wasn't about to wake you up."

"I appreciate that, Gracie. Thank you." Danny closed his eyes and pulled the blanket tighter around his body. His daughter was growing up far too quickly.

"Danno?" Grace's soft voice cut through the silence.

Danny peeled one eye open. "Yeah?"

"Are you scared about tomorrow? The surgery I mean?" her voice held the slightest tremor of nervousness.

Danny sat up and crossed over to the other couch where Grace was sitting, settling in beside her. He wrapped and arm around her and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "Everything is going to be okay, Grace. I promise. There is nothing for you to worry about."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I have the best doctor and I have you and your little brother to help take care of me." Danny made a face. "And Grandma will be here."

"And Uncle Steve?" Grace questioned hopefully.

Danny smiled at his daughter and kissed her head again. "Yeah, and Uncle Steve."


	11. Chapter 11

Danny hugged his mother fiercely. It had been too long since he had last seen her. Even though he declared earlier in the week he didn't really want her hovering while he was recovering from surgery, he was now glad that she was here and felt the familiar comfort his mother offered slip over him.

Clara stepped back and placed her hands on either side of Danny's face. "How are you feeling? Steve told me at the airport you had a bad migraine."

Danny gave his mother a reassuring smile that offered very little reassurance to his worried mother. "I'm fine, Ma." He let her kiss his forehead as she always did when he was under the weather as a child. "The worst of it's over."

Clara patted his cheek and moved to give Gracie a warm embrace. "You should have let Steve take you to the ER. You probably didn't even wake him up, did you?"

"Uh that would be a negative." Steve stopped struggling with the last of Clara's luggage as he pushed the pull handle back into the suitcase. "He did not wake me up."

Clara snorted. "Figures." She hugged her granddaughter but never took her eyes off her son. "Hi Sweetheart, I've missed you."

"Missed you too, Grandma." Grace plopped back down on the couch and answered a text message. "Daddy never tells us when he doesn't feel good," she chimed in from behind her phone.

"Excuse me young lady." Danny glared at his daughter as if she had just betrayed him.

"What?" Grace returned the look over the top of her phone. "It's true, you don't tell anyone."

Danny dropped down to the couch feeling defeated and suddenly gained up on. He pulled the forgotten blanket over his lap again. Maybe having his mother here wasn't such a great idea. He opened his mouth to reply but Steve beat him to it.

"Gracie's got you there, pal."

"You too?" Danny waved his hand half-heartedly in the air at his partner. "Really?"

Charlie looked confused as he climbed up on the couch beside his father and snuggled into his side. "Are you feeling better, Danno?"

Danny kissed the top of Charlie's blond head. "Yeah, buddy, I'm feeling a lot better."

"Are you up for some lunch?" Steve asked.

Danny ran his hands through his hair and made a face. Food didn't really sound all that appealing at the moment.

"I take that as a no." Steve picked up Clara's carry-on. "Where am I putting your mother's luggage?"

"Oh I can get that." Clara made a motion with her hand. "Just leave it where it's at."

Steve ignored her and looked to Danny for an answer.

"She's going in Gracie's room."

Grace jumped up from the couch and stashed her phone in her back pocket. "I'll help you, Uncle Steve."

"Thank you, Gracie." Steve grabbed the two largest suitcases and he and Grace started the parade of luggage towards her room.

Danny stared from the couch in disbelief. "How much did you pack, Ma? Did you bring your entire wardrobe?"

"Don't be silly, Daniel." Clara sat down on the couch on Danny's other side and wrapped an arm over his shoulder. She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "You know it's too hot here for the winter clothes. I left all of them at home." She looked around Danny at Charlie.

"Charlie, your daddy may not be hungry but I had a very long flight. Do you think you can go ask your Uncle Steve for a bottle of water for me and maybe see if he will make me a sandwich?"

Charlie jumped off the couch with enthusiasm. "SUre, Grammy."

Danny patted his son on the back as he fled the living room. When Charlie was gone, he closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the couch cushion.

Clara stroked a finger down his cheek. "How are you really feeling, honey?"

"I'm fine, Ma." Danny muttered.

"I worry about you. I know how bad your migraines can get, Daniel. I've taken you to the hospital a few times, remember? How many pills did you have to take?"

Danny scrunched up his face as he tried to remember and then knew his mother would not like the answer. "Three. But the last one didn't count because it came back up."

Clara shook her head. "Daniel…"

"Ma, please don't. Okay? I've got enough on my plate and I don't need a lecture."

"I'm just concerned, honey. That's all. I'm not lecturing you. Have you called your doctor to let him know?"

"Let him know what? That at four in the morning it felt like my head was going to explode."

"I don't know. You're supposed to be having major surgery tomorrow and there could be complications from your medication. When your father had his surgery, he had a whole list of things he wasn't supposed to take or it could cause issues while he was under anesthesia." Clara picked at her manicured nails, a nervous habit she had been trying to break her entire adult life with no success.

"I'll call him, Ma. Just give me a few minutes." His eyes had drifted shut and he was on the verge of falling asleep. Danny's head lolled to the side and he was out. Another side effect of having to take so many pills. They literally knock you out for the rest of the day. You're awake for half an hour and then it doesn't feel like you ever got any sleep and you can't keep your eyes open.

Clara kissed his cheek still not satisfied. She smoothed her hand over the top of Danny's head and he startled awake. "Go crawl back into bed, baby. We'll get a message to your doctor."

Danny turned his head towards his mother and gave her a weak smile. "Thanks for coming, Ma. We've missed you."

"I've missed you all too."

Danny retreated to his bedroom and shut out the quiet noise from the rest of the house. Clara found Steve and the kids in the kitchen making up sandwiches.

"Here's your water, Grammy," Charlie beamed as he handed off the water bottle to his grandmother.

"Thank you, Sweetheart. This is just what I need."

She sat down at the end of the counter next to Charlie. Steve pushed a deli sandwich in front of her and handed her a napkin. "Where's Danny? Still on the couch?"

"No, he went to lay back down. Those pills knock him out when he has to take that many. It's like the first one doesn't work so he takes another and then another and then bam… they all kick in at once. I personally think he takes them too close together but what do I know?" She took a bite of her sandwich and sighed with content. "This is really good, thank you. It was such a long flight."

"We're glad you could make it. I wondered about the pills myself but he said the one didn't count because it came back up. He's not going to be doing much for a while until he heals."

Clara took a drink of water and washed down her bite of sandwich. "I think he needs to call his doctor and let him know about the migraine."

"Why's that?" Steve questioned as he put away the ketchup and mustard.

"Well when Eddie had his surgery, there was a whole list of medications he couldn't take because they would interfere with the anesthesia. Some of them could have caused a stroke."

Gracie gasped. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Danno is fine, Gracie. Don't worry. How about you take Charlie into the backyard to play for me while I talk to Clara."

Gracie mumbled a complaint but agreed. "Come on Charlie. The big people need to talk."

"Thanks, kiddo." Steve gave Gracie a reassuring smile. "Give us twenty minutes. Okay?"

"Alright."

Once Gracie shut the patio door Steve returned his attention to Clara. "The kids are already worried enough about Danny, I don't think they need to hear about things like strokes and complications."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I'm just worried about him."

Steve nodded. "Me too. The first time around wasn't much fun, I can imagine this time won't be any better. He just wants to get it over and done with so he can get better."

"Do you have his doctor's number? I really think we need to call and at least ask about the medication."

"Danny won't be happy if they have to delay it. You're already here and he's got everything arranged."

"Well I'd rather it be delayed than him have a stroke on the table."

"Nobody's having a stroke, Ma," Danny mumbled as he wandered into the kitchen and slid into Steve's personal space. Steve wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close. "But I will call the doc so you won't worry." He gave his mother a tired smile and raised up on his tiptoes to kiss Steve.

Clara cleared her throat. "I thought you were sleeping."

"I was trying to but you two are loud."

"Sorry, babe." Steve kissed the top of Danny's head. "We just want to make sure nothing happens during the procedure because of the medication you took."

Danny grabbed his phone from the countertop and brought up his list of contacts. He found the one for his doctor's office and promptly dialed the number. "I just want to get this over with, okay?" he explained to his mother and Steve as he waited for someone to answer. "This is ridiculous. My surgery is tomorrow morning. They aren't going to want to cancel it."

Someone finally answered the phone and Danny explained his mother's concerns to the receptionist and then to a nurse who assured him he would get a call back within the hour after she spoke with his doctor. He disconnected the call and glared at both his mother and Steve. "There. You two happy now?" Danny turned around annoyed. "I'm going back to bed."

Steve and Clara exchanged a confused look between them.

"Somebody's cranky." Clara muttered under her breath.

"Yeah. That didn't quite go as planned, now did it?" Steve started to laugh. "He'll be better when he wakes back up."

"I hope so or I'm going to a hotel."

"Can I come too?" Steve teased.


	12. Chapter 12

"Danno," Steve called softly as he entered Danny's bedroom and quietly shut the door behind him. "You want to tell me wants going on?"

Danny was seated on the opposite side of the bed with his back to the door and holding on to Steve's pillow like it was a lifeline. Just moments before, he had a minor blow up with his mother and partner in the kitchen over his medication and his upcoming surgery. Why couldn't things ever be easy? Why couldn't you just make it through the day without new complications complicating your life even further. 'Fucking migraine,' he thought to himself as he heard Steve enter the room. He wasn't ready to talk. Wasn't ready to apologize for his outburst and he sure as hell wasn't wanting to delay the agonizing recovery period from surgery.

Steve inched closer to the bed when he didn't get an answer. "Come on man, talk to me." He reached the bed and crawled across Danny's side until he came to his partner. Dropping Danny's phone onto the comforter, he settled in behind Danny, dropping a leg on either side of Danny's hips. Steve wrapped his arms around Danny's chest and dropped his chin to his partner's right shoulder. He could feel Danny's heart beating beneath his clasped hands, much too fast for his own liking. Danny's fast and breathy repetitive inhale and exhale was the only sound for several long moments. "Danno…"

"I just want it to be over, Okay?" Danny winced at how fragile his voice sounded to his own ears. It sounded weak and needy and he didn't want to feel either of those two things.

Steve nodded his head in understanding while rubbing his thumbs across Danny's chest. "I know you do. We all want you on the road to recovery as soon as possible. But we also want to make sure there aren't any complications that are going to slow down that process. I'd take your place in heartbeat if I could."

Danny dropped his head forward at the guilt in Steve's voice. "You know, the first time around, I didn't have time to think about the aftermath or recovery period. I just said 'use mine' because I couldn't lose you." The breath on his neck made him shiver. "This time is different."

"You've had too much time to think about it. Are you reconsidering the surgery?" Steve questioned.

"No. I just want to get it over with. I don't want any more time to think about the pros and cons. I don't want any more time to change my mind. Let's just do it and be done with it. I'm afraid if it gets delayed, I'll change my mind and then regret it. Because I know it isn't going to be an easy road. The recovery sucked the first time and I'm sure the process hasn't gotten any easier to endure."

"I'll be right here every step of the way, Danno. Whatever you decide. At least this time around you don't have the injuries from landing the plane on top of the liver transplant."

"There's a pro to think about. Thank you." Danny turned his head and met Steve's lips for a kiss. "Is Ma upset?"

"No. She's concerned." Steve snickered. "We uh, we flipped a coin to see who was going to come in here." He ducked out of the way before Danny could smack him.

"Where are the kids?" Danny finally tossed Steve's pillow to the head of the bed and turned in Steve's embrace. Concern was written all over his partner's face and Danny felt the tension begin to build again, knowing that he was the root cause of it.

"They are outside with your mother showing her the tree you all planted a few months ago."

Danny smiled at the memory. He had to pinky promise Charlie with both pinky fingers that he would water it when he wasn't there to do it himself. He snuck a hand around Steve's neck and pulled him in for a kiss. "I'm sorry," he whispered against Steve's mouth.

"For what?" Steve acted oblivious and Kissed his Danno again.

Danny could feel the grin building against his own lips.

"How are you feeling? You want to go back to sleep or you need something to eat?"

Danny thought about going back to sleep. The idea was very appealing as the migraine pills were still working their way through his body and trying to pull him into a deep slumber. But his stomach was also beginning to grumble it's objections to not being fed and losing last night's dinner wasn't doing it any good. "Compromise. How about some peanut butter toast and I'll nap in the lounge chair outside while Charlie plays and Ma and Gracie swap make-up secrets."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll even make you a cup of coffee just the way you like it."

"That would be fantastic. Please none of your grass fed butter. That's for Neanderthals."

Steve chuckled and scooted off the bed. He turned and pulled Danny to his feet. "I love you, Danno."

Danny rocked up on the balls of his feet and kissed Steve. "Love you too, babe."

They were halfway to the door when Danny's phone rang.


End file.
